Why Was I Never Told Sooner About A Prosthodontist?

14 Nov Why Was I Never Told Sooner About A Prosthodontist?

A patient arrives with a problem which needs prompt attention. Listening to the past dental history is so upsetting for me. Patients have visited their dentist regularly for years on end only to discover now that a major problem exists. Why? Is it because of poor dental service or poor patient compliance ( or both)? Clearly there has been a steady deterioration in their overall general dental health. Who has been neglectful? The mouth has been compromised.

Let me tell you Carol’s story – She is about 50 years old and she has had much dentistry over the years. She now complains that her bite does not feel natural. She can’t chew comfortably. Compared to her marriage photographs, her teeth look very different.

She had the misfortune of a front tooth falling out whilst on holiday overseas. What a hassle and inconvenience to find somebody to deal with her emergency.

How did she get to us? She was informed that her current dentist is giving up practice because of ill-health. She has ongoing work in her mouth which still needs to be completed but she feels uncomfortable in going back to him. A section of the mouth has had implants placed by a maxillofacial surgeon and temporary crowns have been fitted. It was he who suggested that she see a prosthodontist to finalize the case but he did not say who she should see.

Thanks to Dr Google she discovered what a prosthodontist is and she consulted with us.

I asked her what she would like to achieve through treatment. She replied by saying that she wants her mouth to feel natural. She wants to be able to enjoy eating a meal with comfort and she wants her teeth to look better. Is this not what everybody wants from their mouths?

Well she certainly has come to the right place. With proper treatment this is all achievable.

Her parting remarks after the first appointment were “ I wish I had known before about a prosthodontist. Why was I never guided by my general dentist to seek specialist dentistry?”